Salt Mines of Maras and Moray half day

Maras Moray  half day tour, you will get to know the other side of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The circular terraces of Moray, the salt mines of Maras and the textile art of Chinchero. Always highlighting the trip among memorable landscapes with intense natural colors. Therefore, we recommend you to enjoy this adventure without worries and leave everything in our hands!

• Departures: Every day.
• Duration: Half day (8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).
• Maximum altitude: Chinchero (3,754 masl).
• Trip style: Short hikes and travel by tourist transport.
• Difficulty level: Easy.
• Type of tour: Cultural/Historical.
• Service: Group, less than 18 people.
• Private.
• Location: Urubamba

SHORT ITINERARY

Cusco - Chinchero - Salineras de Maras - Moray - Cusco

• Pick up from your hotel or in a central point of the city.
• Transfer in our tourist transport to the town of Chinchero.
• Visit a Textile Art Center at Chinchero.
• Guided tour to the salt mines of Maras and the archaeological center of Moray.
• Return to the city of Cusco. 

Note: The times indicated are only for reference

Half Day: Cusco - Chinchero - Maras Salt Mines - Moray - Cusco

We will start the tour, at the agreed time, from our meeting point. You must take into account that we will make a guided visit in each of the points of this tour. We will travel in our tourist transport to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. On the way we will be able to observe the immense cultivated fields that give this area its natural color and charm. We will arrive at our first destination, the Chinchero town.

One of the main attractions of this town are its Textile Art Centers, which we will visit to learn more about how they make their products, which are highly valued worldwide. In these workshops we will be able to observe how the natural fibers of sheep and alpaca are dyed; also the weaving that is done by hand, as in the time of the Incas with techniques such as the "away" or looms; in addition to knowing the reason for their designs.

We will continue our tour until we reach the salt mines of Maras. This is a unique area in the entire region of Cusco, in it we will find thousands of salt ponds, which are located on platforms on the mountain side. Its intense white color in contrast with the surrounding areas, makes it a memorable and of course beautiful scenery for photos. Here, we can taste products such as chocolates and a variety of snacks that are made with the salt that is extracted in this area.

Then, we will make a short trip to reach the Archaeological Center of Moray, we will visit its famous circular terraces, which were possibly an agricultural research center of the Incas. We will be able to walk along these terraces and we will notice the change of temperatures, something that the Incas knew how to use to be able to grow potatoes, corn, among other products successfully. After this magical experience in the middle of nature we will return to the Cusco city. 

To learn more about the places that we will visit. We leave you this information:

CHINCHERO

The Andean town of Chinchero, known as the "Land of the Rainbow", is a town where many of the customs that were inherited by the Incas are preserved, the inhabitants still wear very traditional clothes full of color. In its streets and houses you can still see the mixture of Inca and colonial architecture.

One of its main activities is the handmade elaboration of high quality fabrics, maintaining ancestral techniques. In their textile workshops, the villagers show how to dye (with natural dyes) the sheep or alpaca fibers, teach the traditional ways of weaving and explain the meaning of their designs. All this to obtain multicolored fabrics that are very famous worldwide.

Location: 28 km / 17 miles from Cusco.

Altitude: 3,754 masl.

SALT MINES OF MARAS

The Maras Salt Mines. They are a set of 4,500 salt ponds, which are distributed in terraces, located on the mountain side. The place has been functioning perfectly since pre-Inca times and the salty water comes from a water spring called Qaqa Wiñay Mountain. It is a mystery why this type of water is generated. Also, thanks to the effects of evaporation, the liquid in these pools ends up turning into grains of salt. The intense white color that can be seen from afar, makes it look like a jewel in the middle of nature.

The Maras salt obtained in this area is currently highly valued worldwide, especially for gourmet food and in other cases to help with health issues. When you visit this place you can taste the products that are made from this important element.

Location: 53 km / 33 miles from Cusco.

Altitude: 3,200 masl.

MORAY 

This is one of the most interesting archeological sites in the Sacred Valley. It is a system of gigantic circular terraces that resemble an amphitheater sunk into the ground. It is said that it would have been an Inca agricultural laboratory, where they experimented with potatoes, corn, among other products, so that they could grow successfully. Each of the terraces were designed to maintain a specific temperature, humidity and even see wind-related issues according to their depth.

Walking through these terraces takes time, but it is rewarding the feeling you get when you enter this place, where you can feel the difference in climates. Something that the Incas knew how to use perfectly to their advantage, demonstrating the use of a very advanced agricultural technology.

Location: 50 km / 31 miles from Cusco.

Altitude: 3,385 masl.

Note: The times indicated are only for reference.

OPTIONAL-QUADS

We leave you this option that you can add to the Maras Moray Tour.

PRIVATE SERVICE:

• ATV tour in part of the Sacred Valley of the Incas: Huaypo and Piuray Lakes.
• After this tour, you can continue to Ollantaytambo town to take the afternoon train to Machu Picchu.
• You can spend a night in one of the communities in the town of Maras and do rural tourism in the area. 
• You can visit the Archaeological Center of Chinchero, where the Inca architecture is mixed with colonial architecture. In it you can find houses, shrines and terraces, as it was considered an agricultural administrative center, being even the pantry of ancient Cusco.

For more information about these options, please contact us. We will be happy to customize your trip:

INCLUDED:

• Tourist transportation during the route.
• Professional bilingual guide (Spanish and English).

NOT INCLUDED:

• General or Partial Tourist Ticket. It allows you the entrance to most of the attractions. Please note that prices may vary according to your nationality or other conditions.
• Entrance to the salt mines of Maras.
• Meals.
• Tips.
• Travel insurance.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What should we bring for our trip?

In our Tour Maras, Moray and Chinchero, we can find varied climates for that reason we recommend you to bring:

General:

• Passport or Identification Document.
• Comfortable walking shoes.
• Light backpack to carry personal belongings. 
• Cell phone/camera.
• Personal snacks.
• Personal medication.

For the cold or rain:

• Warm clothing.
• Waterproof clothing/rain poncho.

For sun:

• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses.
• Hat.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Here, are some recommendations to consider before the Maras, Moray and Chinchero Tour:

• Unlike the Sacred Valley of the Incas Tour, in this trip we can find more varied scenarios. In addition, the terraces of Moray and the salt mines of Maras are unique attractions in the entire Cusco region.

• Before your trip to Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley or the Humantay Lake. This is the perfect tour for you to acclimatize to the city of Cusco, and you can do it in the first days you are in the city of Cusco. 
• To enter the archaeological sites it is mandatory to have your General or Partial Tourist Ticket, as well as the entrance tickets to the Maras Salt Mines, since in each of these points you will be asked for this pass.
• Most of the tour will be done in our tourist transportation. Therefore, the hikes will be short and you will not need to have previous physical preparation.
• Unlike other tours, this trip can be done all year round. Although you should take precautions during the rainy season from November to March.
• It is a tour that is recommended for children and adults. Because the degree of difficulty is minimal.

Group service: 25 usd per person,  you wil join a group tour, it could be bilingual languaje

Private service: the price depend of the number of people.